Grand Canyon Rafting Trip – More Awesomeness!

As we floated the river, we thought repeatedly about the experience of early explorers who first navigated a very different river. The Colorado River is no longer a wild river. Flows are regulated by the Glen Canyon Dam which generates power for municipalities in seven states (a “cash register dam”). The water volume varies based on demand, but we had fairly consistent moderate flows of 8-12,000 cfs during our trip. The average river depth is 33 ft – varying from a few feet to 90 ft deep. The canyon itself changes as you move downriver. Sheer cliffs constrict the river is some places, just 76 ft wide at the narrowest part and opening up at its widest to over 600 ft. Usually the Colorado is a muddy, chocolate brown from sediment washed in from the side canyons. The first settlers said it was “too thick to drink and too thin to plow.” However, there wasn’t much of a monsoon season this year and we were treated to beautiful, emerald green water the whole way down the canyon!

 

Rog enjoys the view.

The Colorado is a pool and drop river with stretches of placid water punctuated by rapids where the river plunges swiftly. The river drops a total of 1,900 ft between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead, 50% of that drop takes place in the more than 165 rapids which account for only 9% of the distance. Most of the rapids are formed by debris fans where flash floods have deposited boulders and obstructions near the mouth of side canyons.  What none of those numbers can convey is the sheer majesty and power of the river. Crashing waves, keeper holes, whirlpools and eddies… the river is always moving and changing. 

Pool and drop means relative calm...

...punctuated by white water!

On our second day, we rode with Mark in his oar boat and he said, “A boatman only uses his oars to suggest to the river where he wants to go.” Lol. I tried my hand at the oars and quickly gained a new found respect for the strength and skill needed to navigate the river.

 

The river wasn't very receptive to my suggestions. Lol.

After a cloudy first day, it was sunny with temps in the 90’s and low 100’s our entire time in the canyon. The guides were calling it Juntober and it was perfect! Hot and sunny was good, because the water, which is released from the bottom of Glen Canyon Dam is COLD. A teeth-chattering 50-55°. No matter how hot and sunny it is, a soaking in 50° water is a shocker. And we had lots of experience with that. Day 2 on the river (Wednesday, 9/23) was a fun day of white water! We did a section of the river called the “Roaring 20’s” with rapids about every mile or so. Woohoo! Patrick and Andy manned the duckies in the moderate rapids. The guides pulled the duckies before Tiger Wash, which came close to flipping the paddle boat. A huge lateral wave tipped the paddle boat nearly vertical and Tigers Cole, Claudia and Chris and even Tiger Mandela went for a brief swim.😲 

Mark lines up his approach.

Even the riffles look big from here. Lol.

Andy in the ducky followed by Mara's oar boat.

Ducky Down!
The paddle boat offers a hand when Patrick goes for a chilly swim. 

We did some hiking almost every day of our trip. The colors, formations, plants and hidden water features in the side canyons were an unexpected delight. On Day 2 we did a short hike to the North Canyon pool. Mandela brought her digeridoo (an Australian Aboriginal wind instrument) and played. So peaceful and beautiful.

 

The side canyons had amazing rocks and plants. This is Sacred Datura.

Mandela talks about the digeridoo and then plays for us.
What a treat!

North Canyon pool. Lovely.

We camped our second evening at Silver Grotto (River Mile 29.5) and had a lovely evening getting to know our fellow travelers better. It was so much fun to find kindred spirits and make new friends.

 

Kitchen set up at Silver Grotto camp. 

Day 3 (Thursday, 9/24) was our first day in the paddle boat with Mandela. I must confess that when asked about our interest in paddling, we said not only no, but hell no! Mandela inspired a change of heart. The comradery and her patient coaching and enthusiasm made it so much fun. While we never made the “A team” that tackled the biggest rapids we did spend 3-4 days in the paddle boat and thoroughly enjoyed it!

 

So much for "hell no". On the paddle boat and loving it!
(Thanks Ashley for the photo)

We stopped at South Canyon for a hike but we got chased off by an amorous Big Horn ram. It was rut season and we apparently interrupted a hot date. The ram was not amused. At first he and his ewe moved away from the beach, but then he kept coming closer and closer, giving us the stinkeye. Mara was reading a passage from a compilation of river guide stories about a guide who repeatedly BAAAAAAA’ed at a ram and ended up being chased into the river. Each time she would BAAAAAA the ram would come a little closer. It didn’t take long for Jesse to call everyone back into the boats and we beat a hasty retreat. Life imitates art. Lol.

Coming back to defend his love interest.

We were definitely getting the stink eye!

Mandela pointed out several interesting features along the river. Stanton Cave is over 400 ft deep and contains fossils and early artifacts. There are thousands of archeological sites along the river. Some you can explore, others are off-limits. I loved that the guides were so knowledgeable and eager to share the history of the canyon.

Stanton's Cave

 

Vasey's Paradise. 

We stopped for a break at Redwall Cavern. What an amazing place! A huge sandy cavern hollowed out at the base of the cliffs. It was fun to explore, searching out fossils and a perfect spot for playing frisbee. I’m sharing a couple of pictures taken by Andy, since his turned out way better than mine!

Approaching Redwall Cavern.
(Photo credit: Andy)

Inside the cavern looking out. So cool!
(Photo credit: Andy)

Mandela strikes a yoga pose. 

Claudia, Chris and Cole in silhouette.

Very cool fossils at Redwall Cavern.

Plenty of room for a game of Frisbee.

On a more serious note we also passed tailing piles from bore holes made in preparation for the Marble Canyon Dam proposed in the 1940’s. It would have been another cash register dam generating hydroelectric power, but it would have reduced the Colorado River to a trickle through the Grand Canyon. It was finally abandoned after concerted efforts by early conservationists in the 1960's. The dam would have flooded both Redwall Cavern and Vasey's Paradise. Arrrrrrgh! The area has since been incorporated into the National Park, but it's a timely reminder that we must always remain vigilant to protect these precious natural wonders.

 

Bore holes for the proposed Marble Canyon Dam.

Definitely worth saving!

Day 3 ended at Eminence camp at river mile 44.5. We have an awesome hike planned for the morning that I think you’re going to love!

Epic Rafting Trip through the Grand Canyon – The Adventure Begins!

A preview of the awesomeness to come.

As my dedicated readers (all three of you) know, I typically try to post an account of our travels within a few days of our activities. This keeps friends and family updated on our whereabouts and what we’re up to. Also, given my faulty memory, things are still relatively fresh in my mind – a real plus. Our recent adventure rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon was a whole new experience. Sixteen days on the river with NO cell phone, NO internet, NO computers, and obviously NO blogging. So, I’m struggling a bit with how to document this completely epic adventure. I want to do it justice, but not bore you to death with an overwhelming number of pictures and details. I did take some notes and over 1500 photos, so that’s no idle threat. Lol. We’ll see how it goes…

We chose Canyon Explorations, headquartered in Flagstaff for our trip. They offered the type of trip we wanted (non-motorized) and had great reviews. We originally booked in May 2019 for a June 2020 trip, but then COVID happened. Our trip was rescheduled to September 22-Oct 7 and it couldn’t have worked out better. We flew from SeaTac to Phoenix on Sunday, 9/20, rented a car and drove to Flagstaff where our adventure begins. For those worried about Riley, we left him in the capable care of our friend Peter who housesat for us and provided both Riley and our kitty, Clyde, with world class spoiling.

 

Can-X - we highly recommend them! 

After a day kicking around Flagstaff we had a mandatory 5:30pm orientation at the Doubletree Hotel where we were staying. Canyon Explorations (Can-X) staff, Lisa, gave us an overview of our morning departure and helpful information on packing. We each received a “day bag”, for stuff we wanted access to throughout the day (think of it as your carry-on bag) and a larger “check bag”, for clothes and items we’d only see in camp each evening. Can-X also provided a sleep kit (ground tarp, pad, sleeping bag, liner) and tents. We also got a nifty Can-X coffee mug (used each and every morning!), a snack container, and a waterproof river guide/map. Based on Can-X recommendations, we’d also purchased paddle jackets and several smaller items (Super Salve, waterproof note book, etc.) that proved indispensable on the trip. My advice if you go – read the Float Notes and follow the recommendations!

 

Orientation!

We were up early on Tuesday, 9/22, dropping off our bags at 5:30am and boarding the Can-X bus by 6:30am for the 2+ hour drive from Flagstaff to Lees Ferry. After a brief stop at Navajo Bridge, we arrived at Lee’s Ferry where we met our boats and crew.     

Our ride from Flagstaff to Lee's Ferry.

 

Looking down at the Colorado River from Navajo Bridge.
In just a bit we'll be floating below and looking up at the bridge!

First the boats – our trip consisted of four inflatable oar boats (one guide rows with two guests), a paddle boat (one guide steers and six guests paddle) and a dory (one guide rows with 2-3 guests). The oar boats were the heavy duty pickup trucks, carrying most of the supplies for the trip. And everything we needed for the full 16 days started out with us on day 1, there was no resupply during the trip. The paddle boat was the zippy race car of the bunch, carrying just the paddlers and their day bags. The dory was the sport SUV, functional and fun! To continue the analogy, we also had two motorcycles – inflatable kayaks for those interested in swimming the Colorado. Lol. Truthfully, we had some awesome kayakers and Rog took his turn (and a brief swim).

 

Off the bus and loading up at Lee's Ferry.
Dory on the left, oar boats and paddle boat on the right.

Preparing for launch.

The paddle boat is on the river.

Ahhh… the crew. How to introduce these fine folks? After 16 days on the river, we’re family (and I mean that in a good way). Every single one of them was outstanding! Jesse was the team leader in charge of our itinerary each day and he oared the dory. Matthew was in the lead oar boat, he routinely was first through any rapid. His lovely wife, Tina, along with Ashley, were the assistants who helped keep all the crew and guests in line. Mara, also in an oar boat, was the Ice Queen – in charge of the coolers, food and mealtime logistics. She was usually last through the rapids as the sweep, ensuring that everyone was safely through. Nancy, with 20+ years of guide experience, was in another oar boat and Mark, at 26, the youngest of the crew, also oared a boat. And then there is Mandela, a force of nature, who was in charge of the paddle boat, which was also the safety boat for any kayakers. Each one of the crew was a gem with fascinating histories and interesting stories to tell. You don’t become a Grand Canyon river guide by sitting on your butt and leading a dull life, that I can promise you. 

 

Our stellar crew!

We were signed up for the full river trip – 226 river miles to the take-out at Diamond Creek. You can do just the upper or lower canyon by hiking in/out on the Bright Angel Trail on Day 8 around river mile 89.5, but Rog really wanted to do the whole river. (Did I mention that he’s brilliant.) So happy we did!

Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek - 16 days and 226 river miles.

And let’s not forget our fellow guests. When we started out there were 13 guests and 2 assistants in addition to the crew. It is no overstatement to say these folks were a vital part of what made this such an awesome trip. We did have an exchange midway where we said a sad goodbye to six of our new friends and got to meet seven new ones. Rather than try to introduce each one here, we’ll just continue on our trip and share names and pictures as we go. Without hesitation, every single one has an open invitation to visit if they’re ever in the Seattle area. Ya’all drop by, ya hear! 😊  

Back to the trip. We were on the water by 10:30am and the adventure begins!! We started our trip on Mara’s oar boat. Everyone is encouraged to switch up boats and ride with each of the guides, which we did throughout the trip. Our first small rapid was about a mile downstream, the Paria Riffle.  We stopped about four miles downriver for lunch at the aptly named Four-Mile Wash and had one of several safety briefings and orientations.

We start off on Mara's oar boat. 

And we're off!
The Paria Riffle at river mile 1.

We gather round so Jesse can educate the masses. 

Jesse's baby. This was it's maiden voyage.
The dory is Jesse's personal boat and a fun addition to the trip.

We continued on, making camp at Hot Na Na Wash around mile 16.5. Pulling into camp triggers a flurry of activity. Everyone helps unload the boats – all the dry bags, sleeping kits, tents, camp chairs and kitchen gear gets unloaded. Jesse would indicate where the kitchen and Groover (more on that in a minute) would be set up. While the crew gathered to discuss the day’s activities and plan for the next, we were free to choose a campsite. While several folks opted to set up tents, we never felt the need and spent every night sleeping under the stars.  

View of Navajo Bridge from down under. 

Exploring along the river.

Launch day was the coolest and cloudiest day of the trip.

White water!

A face-full of the Colorado! Lol. 

There's a happy rafter! :)

While the crew always kept the same boat, they did rotate cooking duties and other camp chores. So let’s talk just a minute about the food. OMG. Talk about exceeding expectations. We were fed three full meals a day and always had access to water and snacks. The day started with a conch call for coffee (yes, they use a shell to summon you to meals!). Breakfast included hot or cold options – cereal, yogurt and fruit were always on the table and other offerings might include eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, bagels, lox and cream cheese, etc. Lunch was usually sandwiches, salads, or wraps along with fruit and cookies. Each evening, after a tasty appetizer, the suppers served were amazing. Over the 16 days we were treated to mushroom ravioli, salmon, fajitas, steak, teriyaki chicken, burgers and brats, pasta dishes, chicken curry, chili, pork chops, a burrito bar, and my new favorite food – pozole with corn fritters. Add in a variety of sides and a yummy dessert – these guys make magic in a dutch oven – and you can excuse me for gaining five pounds in a little over two weeks! Oh, and every meal included a vegan option for those so inclined. As I said, expectations exceeded!

After a long day, appetizers and then dinner is served. 

So about the Groover. What, you might ask, is that? Well, when they say pack it in – pack it out, they mean everything. There are no rest stops along the river, so at camp each evening the crew sets up “the box”.  The general rule is #1 in the river and #2 in the box. The box is basically an oversized ammo can with a seat for comfort.  But back in the day it really was just a box and sitting for any length of time would leave a mark, hence the nickname, “the Groover”.  Ok. Maybe TMI, but I know you were wondering about that. 😊

 

A Groover with a view. Lol. 

I think we’ll stop here, as the moon rises above the canyon wall and we’re all tucked in on our first night on the river. It’s been a fantastic day and I promise you it just gets better. There will be lots more fun white water, amazing wildlife and absolutely phenomenal hikes to share.

Frist night on the river. Ahhhhhhhh. 

New Shoes, a Second Kayak Adventure, and Murphy Meets MacGyver

We made our date with the tire folks in Klamath Falls, pulling in right on time at noon on Friday, 7/31. They said it would take a few hours, so we loaded up Riley, grabbed some burritos for a picnic lunch, and drove to Williamson River Campground to claim our spot. That turned out to be a smart move because the tire place closed at 5pm and they didn’t finish until 4:45pm. It would have been slim pickings in the campground if we’d waited in town. 

We had fun watching the acrobatic chippies harvest seeds near our campsite.

We had our lunch at the Spring Creek Day Use area, about 2 miles from the campground. The water is shallow and crystal clear and we noticed a lot of kayak traffic. Hmmmm… we’d hiked here once before, but looking at it with a new eye, we decided it would be perfect for Riley’s second kayak adventure! Since it took us so long to reclaim the rig and get settled, we chose to stay a second night and enjoy a relaxed day hiking and playing on the water. 

Riley in Spring Creek. 
Shallow, clear and beautiful - looks like our next kayak adventure!

On Saturday, we hiked the campground trail, about 2 miles roundtrip along the Williamson River. We figured it was a good idea to tire Riley out before putting him in the kayak. He enjoyed the walk and did his crazy dog routine as well as another favorite game, hike-and-seek. Silly boy.

Riley does crazy dog.                                                 Can you see me?

The trail goes through big pines along the Williamson River. 

After lunch we headed over to Spring Creek and set up the kayak. Normally the bottom of our inflatable is rigid, but a seam on the floor insert that Rog had repaired started leaking again. It made footing more uncertain for Riley, sort of like standing on a waterbed. Even so, he did great. This time we spent about 2 hours on the water with a short break midway so he could potty and stretch his legs.

We're ready to go!

We picked what looked like an easy spot to get in and out of the kayak and pulled up to the bank. I hopped out into the water to hold the kayak steady while Riley exited. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that the creek bottom at that spot was thick, soft mud.  I immediately sank to my ankles with both feet firmly stuck in the mud. When Riley exited, he pushed the kayak into me, I windmilled frantically then fell backwards into the creek. Nothing hurt but my pride. Although it did take some effort to extricate myself from the mud. Ick. Luckily, there was no video of that little maneuver. 😊 All in all, we are declaring Riley’s second kayak adventure another unqualified success. Yay Riley!

Such a good boy. 
Now if we could just teach him to paddle!

The spring fed creek is crystal clear.

On the way back we dunked Riley's hat to help keep him cool.

On Sunday, we returned to our boondocking spot at Horse Ridge Trailhead. It did not disappoint. Which is more than I can say for Google maps which took us a back way there, including 2 miles of gravel washboard road. Really?? Not amused. After dinner, we drove into Bend (on the paved road, thank you very much) and, although it was hard to pass up Crux, we tried something new. I was interested in the ciders at Avid and Rog picked up two hazy IPA’s at Immersion Brewery nextdoor. Both were excellent and we grabbed extras for the trip home. (Happy Hour at our place!)

The cider flight at Avid is beautiful and tasty!

I mentioned before that the night sky is just amazing at Horse Ridge, this time we were treated to a gorgeous full moon. It was pumpkin yellow low on the horizon and then got brighter as it rose higher in the sky.

Three shots of the full moon because I couldn't pick a favorite. :) 

We did try out a slightly different route on the way home and a new campground. From Hwy 97, we took WA 821 through the Yakima Canyon. It’s an area we hadn’t visited before and Rog was interested in a BLM campground right on the Yakima River. We pulled into Big Pines campground around 2pm and snagged an open spot close to the river. We thought the whole campground was first come/first served, but it turned out that all but four sites are reservable. Floating the river is very popular and I imagine we wouldn’t have been so lucky on a weekend.  We thought hard about staying longer to kayak, but finally decided it would have to wait until next time. We need to get the kayak repaired and we’ve extended our journey long enough. The to-do list awaiting us at home is daunting already. Sigh.

Not much shade, but we're close to the river. 
(Check out the reflection in the windshield. Cool.)

Big horn sheep on the slopes.

Early morning light on the hills.

By 9am we were nearly ready to leave when Murphy struck. Rog went to pull in the bedroom slide. It retracted about 4 inches then stopped dead. Repeated tries met with the same result. Uh oh. There is no way we could drive the 3 hours home with the rear slide hanging out. We pushed and shoved and solicited the help of our neighbor. No love. Rog checked the manual, and found instructions to manually retract the front slide but not the rear slide. Unlike the front slide, the mechanism wasn’t accessible from outside but totally hidden under the closet in the coach. Rog went to work tearing out the trim pieces in the bedroom. He found a slack cable and after conferring with the techs from Coachnet, took at shot at fixing it. Still no love. It would go out, but only come in about 4 inches and then come to dead stop. He tried bypassing the motor and winching it in, but that broke the chain that operates the slide. Now we were totally toast. After 3 hours of hot, sweaty, frustrating labor we finally managed to get the slide shoved in. Now how to secure it, so it wouldn’t fall out going down the road? Rog went into MacGyver mode and came up with a solution - wooden blocks and duct tape. Lol. Hey, it wasn’t pretty but it worked! We made it home and have an appointment with a highly recommended repair facility later this month. Not what we were anticipating on the final day of our trip, but it could have been worse.

Rog takes his cues from the origami mastiff to work on the slide. Lol.

Disassembly in progress and our MacGyver fix. 

Oh, and for the record, I put in some more time behind the wheel on Hwy 97, bringing my total to 150 miles this trip. Rog admits the perspective is quite different from the passenger seat. Especially since I have a tendency to crowd the white line (his side!) and give the yellow line (my side!) plenty of room. At one point he started chucking because I was correcting, then overcorrecting, then correcting, then overcorrecting…to the point where it felt like we were a giant pinball zig-zagging down the road. Relax, he says. Someday…maybe. Lol.

The remainder of the drive home was uneventful (with Rog behind the wheel), and we pulled into home several hours later than anticipated. We clocked 32 days and 1889 miles on the road. A bit more than we’d planned, but totally worthwhile. We’re so glad we were able to be there to help with Grandma Ardys’ move. We talked to her and she was in good spirits and very happy with her new apartment. 

Barring any unforeseen changes to our plans, our next big adventure will be the river rafting trip through the Grand Canyon in September. We’re looking forward to that! I hope we’ll have some great pictures and fun stories to share.